Cost of Freedom
by D-fens
Summary: One member has to make the greatest sacrifice


Disclamer: I dont own Andromeda, you know that by now.  
  
Feedback: Always.  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
AuthorÂ´s note: My first "sad" story. It involwes character death, so be prepaired.  
  
  
  
'This is seriusly fubar' Harper thought, and smiled at his use of the old earth experssion. It had started as a regular mission, he, Tyr, Dylan and Trance was going to help a colony against Nietzechean slave hunters, and now they where trapped in a cave, with no escape. He went further into the cave and after a while he found another exit. 'To small for Dylan and Tyr, but big enough for me and Trance.' An idea started forming in his head, and he went to tell the others.  
  
As he came up to them, he said "I have a plan to get us out of here. Beka comes back at daybreak, right?" Dylan nodded, curius where Harper was going with this. Tyr just stood silent, with his back against them, checking for intruders. Trance looked at Harper, and then she got a bad feeling, like Harper was hiding something. But as soon as Harper continued, she forgot about it. "I found a small hole in the back of the cave. If I go thru there, I can come up behind the Ubers, suprise them, and make them hunt me. Right then you run for the pickup-point, and we meet there." Dylan thought about it for a short while, and then he said "Good plan, but I should go instead of you." Harper knew he would say that, and was prepaired. "You canÂ´t boss, the hole isnÂ´t big enough for you. It has to be me." Dylan knew he was right, but he didnÂ´t like it. "Ok, but no fancy stuff. Just get their attention, and run. Nothing else. We will go just before daybreak, so until then we better get some sleep."  
  
A little later, Harper walked up to Tyr. He knew the Nietzechean would help him.  
  
"What do you want boy?" Tyr knew the boy had something important to say.  
  
"Tyr, I want you to promise me something."  
  
"What?" Tyr was not in the mood for guessing.  
  
'Here it goes' Harper thought, took a deep breath and started talking "If you see that I wont be able to make it to the Maru, if it looks that IÂ´m going to be caught, I want you to kill me. You have to promise me, and dont tell the others."  
  
"Why? If you get captured, Dylan will surely come back and free you."  
  
"Yes, and he will be killed, Andromeda will be destroyed, and everyone will die. Dylan wouldnÂ´t have a chance, and you know it. I dont want them to risk it, but they will if IÂ´m alive."  
  
"Why would I do this for you? Do you have a wish to die?" Tyr knew that Harper was serius.  
  
"Because no one else would, Dylan and Trance would wait for me, and then we would all be caught. And that is not a good thing. You must understand that. Besides, I might be able to make it, and then you dont have to do anything."  
  
Tyr knew he was right, if Harper was captured, they would try to free him, and probably die. He understood, but he hadnÂ´t expected Harper to sacrifice himself like this. He looked at the boy, and knew he had to do it. Harper would never be able to outrun Nietzecheans, and they both knew it. But, if he got captured, he would be tortured, and die a horrible death. Tyr had seen victims of Nietzechean torture before, and it was not a pretty sight. It would be a act of mercy to end his life quickly. Tyr knew he had to do it. "Yes, I will do it."  
  
"Good." That was all Harper said before he walked away to sleep. Dylan saw that Harper and Tyr had talked, but since he hadenÂ´t heard the conversation, he dismissed it.  
  
Just before daybreak Harper left, and 30 minutes later there was gunfire. The others started running, and like Harper said, they made it to the pickup-point whitout problem. The maru came whitin sight, and landed next to them. They went inside, where they were met by Beka, who emidietly asked "Where is Harper?"  
  
Dylan hadnÂ´t time to answer, as gunfire iterrupted them. Dylan, Tyr and Trance went outside, as Beka got in the pilots seat, ready to take off. Harper was running like never before, but just behind him was a group of Nietzecheans. Tyr saw emidiatly that Harper wasnÂ´t gonna make it, and got ready.  
  
The next few seconds was going to change everything, and everyone. Dylan saw that Harper was slowing down, and soon he came to a complete stop. He looked behind him, and then he turned to the Maru, smiled and stretched out his arms. In the next moment Dylan saw Tyr, with tears in his eyes, rasing his weapon against Harper. Then he knew what they had been talking about the night before. He yelled "No!" and started runnig towards Tyr, but knew he wouldnÂ´t make it. His scream had gotten TranceÂ´s attention, she looked at Tyr, and then at Harper. Suddenly she understood what was going to happen, but didnÂ´t move. She saw on HarperÂ´s face that this was what he wanted, he gave his life for them. She said "Goodbye, my friend." No one could hear it, as Tyr opened fire, but Harper had seen it, and as the shockwave hit him and threw him onto the ground, he still smiled.  
  
After this, they all got on the Maru. Dylan went up to the cockpit to tell Beka to liftoff, Tyr just sat down, looked at Trance, and with tearfilled eyes he said "I promised him." She only nodded, and said "I know."  
  
Beka wasnÂ´t told what happened until they where back on the andromeda, her face turned pale and she was led to her quarters by Trance. Dylan went up to Tyr, and quetly asked "He told you to do it, right?" Tyr only nodded "I should have known he would try something like this." He walked away, but were stopped by the sound of TyrÂ´s voice. "It was the only way Dylan. Harper knew it, and so do you." Dylan turned and said "I know, I just wish..." Tyr interrupted him "So do I." The two men looked at eachother. There was nothing more to say.  
  
Later during that night, Beka couldnÂ´t sleep, so she decided to go to Obs deck, and when she got there, Tyr was standing, just looking at the wall. He didnÂ´t turn around, just said "I will leave." Beka had hoped to find Tyr alone, so she could talk to him. "No, dont." she said. He turned, suprised. She should be more than angry with him, he killed Harper. "Trance told me what happened." Here it comes, he thought. "Thanks." He looked at her, not beliving what he heard. "I understand." She said, ten she embraced him and started crying. He hold her tight, and said "IÂ´m sorry." Nothing would ever be the same. 


End file.
